Miracle

Yesterday while conducting rounds in the men's ward, I came across a 16 year old boy who was shockingly ill. He lie on his bed, trembling uncontrollably, saliva pouring from his mouth, as his sweet father looked at me pleadingly, not understanding what was happening to his son.

He stated his son, Fidele, suddenly collapsed in his room that morning and began to convulse. He lost control of his bowels and bladder and was subsequently rushed to the hospital.

I requested that Fidele be undressed, gave him a head to toe examination and found no evidence of rabies or tetanus. Given his constricted pin-point pupils and the quick onset of symptoms, I suspected intoxication, that he had taken or been given something that was causing a violent reaction.

He was placed on IV fluids and was given medications to control his saliva and seizures. After finishing the round, I went to begin work in the clinic, reminding myself to return to see the results of his lab exams and check his progress that afternoon.

Approximately 2 hours later, a nurse came to find me stating that the young man was not breathing well and they had placed him on oxygen. I requested another physician to come with me and found Fidele lying on his back, gasping for air, stomach caving in with each attempt. A second listen to his lungs revealed that the saliva he had produced earlier was now lodged in his upper airways. I consulted with the other doctors, wrote additional medications, left him on oxygen and returned to the clinic.

Not long after, the nurses came to find me, stating that Fidele's condition was desperate, that he simply was not breathing well. Upon arriving, we found a thick, yellow foam coming from his nostrils. A member of the surgical team came to suction his airways, although this did not significantly relieve his suffering. I presented his case to the physician on call and went home, not optimistic that he would survive the night.

That evening, Dr. Jacqueline Koster visited Fidele and found that although he had been responding throughout the day, he was now unconscious.

While at Fidele's bedside, I prayed for God's wisdom and intervention. Upon arriving home, I prayed that the Lord would save his life. He received prayer from his family during the night, from Jacqueline, and our women's group prayed for him the following morning.

The next day upon arriving in the men's ward, I found Fidele, conscious, alert sitting next to his beaming mother. He had no complaints, his lungs were completely clear and he wanted to go home! I convinced him to stick around another day or so, just so we could keep an eye on him:-)

God saved his life. Praise be to God.